Oprah just ranked this Miami Beach resort as a top hotel. Here’s why it made the list
Oprah Winfrey has put her stamp of approval on books and films. Now, one of the world’s most influential celebrities has added hotels —and a Miami Beach resort is among the first to benefit.
The Faena Hotel Miami Beach at 32nd Street and Collins Avenue was named one of the top hotels in the world, according to the latest issue of Oprah Daily.
The Oprah Daily 2024 Hotel O-Wards recognized 68 properties in its first travel issue. They were selected largely based on their wellness offerings. The digital magazine said it believes travel “might be the ultimate catalyst for change, clarity and growth.”
Faena Miami Beach Resort
The Faena was South Florida’s sole representative on Oprah’s list.
Here’s what Oprah’s list said: “The 22,000 square-foot Tierra Santa Healing House attracts a different kind of “woo” girl to party-down Miami. The oceanfront wellness sanctuary houses one of the largest hammams on the East Coast, but it’s the shaman-inspired signature therapies — like the Tree of Life Vibrations with hot stone massage and Nepalese singing bowls — that make guests feel the most grounded.”
Pilar Guzmán, editorial director of Oprah Daily, said in an interview with the Miami Herald that the Faena was “unlike other places in Miami.” That’s due to its “soulfulness” and “originality.”
And the resort doesn’t shy away from extravagance, she said. “Even though the spa is excellent, it also has an indulgent menu. So, you’re not depriving yourself.”
Argentine chef Francis Mallmann’s open-fire kitchen with grilled meats and local ingredients is a big part of Faena’s appeal.
Plaudits aren’t new to the resort, which opened in 2015. In April, it was recognized in the Michelin Guide’s first assessment of hotels in the United States. While no Miami-Dade County hotels won the highest three-key honor, the Faena received two keys, along with the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden in Coconut Grove, Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club in Surfside and The Setai Miami Beach..
Still, Oprah influences like few others do.
How the travel list came to be
In 2020, O, The Oprah Magazine ceased monthly print publication. The next year, Winfrey and Hearst Magazines started Oprah Daily, a lifestyle-focused digital venture.
The idea for the current issue came in part from Oprah’s pent-up desire to travel after the pandemic shutdown.
The Oprah Daily then turned to its network of contributors and staff in asking for hotel recommendations. Several had stayed at the Faena.
The publication also reached out to readers, asking them, “What’s the one thing you’d do for yourself if time and money were no object?” The answer was travel, and they viewed it as part of wellness and self-care.
The Faena was one of six hotels recognized in the City Sanctuaries category, or “hotels that are worlds — and vacations — unto themselves.”
Hotels in the Caribbean
While the Faena was Florida’s sole rep in the rankings, Caribbean hotels got their moment in the sun:.
▪ Among hotels in the Whole-Body, Whole-Self Reboot category was BodyHoliday Saint Lucia and Ki-Ra Holistic Living in the Dominican Republic.
▪ Winners in the Ultimate Family Reunion category, or “the best one-stop shops for multigenerational travel,” included Kamalame Cay in the Bahamas and Beaches Resort in Jamaica and in Turks and Caicos.
▪ In the Turn Inward and Find the Universe Category was Natura Cabana in the Dominican Republic.
Hotels across the range
The hotels recognized also spanned across economic and social classes, including a working ranch in Wyoming and a hot springs spa in Arizona. Montana was represented by The Ranch at Rock Creek.
While the Faena is high-end and affordable to few, the list included hotels across a range of price points, Guzmán said. That stems from Oprah’s long-standing interest in and appeal to a wide spectrum of people.
“She can go anywhere and talk to anyone,” said Guzmán, the Oprah Daily editorial director. “She has a wide range of taste.”
